Who will replace Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in 2027? The race for Ohio governor has already begun with several candidates throwing their hats in the political ring.
DeWine cannot run for reelection in 2026 because of term limits. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted planned to run as DeWine’s successor, but Husted accepted DeWine’s appointment to the U.S. Senate, replacing Vice President JD Vance.
Here are the current contenders:
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican
Former presidential candidate and wealthy entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, an Upper Arlington Republican, announced his run for governor on Feb. 24.
Ramaswamy, a suburban Cincinnati native, has never run for or held public office in Ohio. However, he has the money and the connections to President Donald Trump to make him instantly competitive as a Republican in the Buckeye State.
Trump tapped Ramaswamy and billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, which is tasked with cutting regulations and spending. But Ramaswamy left DOGE as Trump and Vance were sworn in.
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, Democrat
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton announced her run for governor on Jan. 7.
Acton, 58, of Bexley, rose to prominence for her role in responding to the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which earned her both praise and scorn. She also worked for the Columbus Foundation and as a public health professor at Ohio State University.
Acton is the sole Democrat to enter the governor’s race to date.
Genius Garage Racing founder Casey Putsch, Republican
Automotive entrepreneur Casey Putsch, a Tiffin native and Perrysburg resident, announced a Republican bid for governor on Dec. 16.
Putsch entered the race as an alternative to Ramaswamy. He said in a news release: “Ohioans are losing hope for the future as our state is sold out to foreign interests through H1B visa abuse, mass immigration both legal and illegal, and failed neoliberal policies.”
Putsch, who has no experience in elected office, founded Genius Garage Racing, which teaches young adults engineering, car building and team racing.
Former local school board member Heather Hill, independent
Morgan County resident Heather Brazell-Hill initially announced a Republican bid for governor. She is now running as an independent.
Hill served on the Morgan Local School Board, the Morgan County Habitat for Humanity board and the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission.
Ohio’s sole female governor, Nancy Hollister, served for 11 days when Gov. George Voinovich left office to become a U.S. senator in 1998. Ohio has never elected a Black governor. Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell ran unsuccessfully for the job in 2006, losing to Democrat Ted Strickland.
Who else is running?
Several other candidates have opened campaign accounts to run for Ohio governor. They include:
Opening a campaign account doesn’t necessarily mean someone will run for governor. Candidates running in a partisan primary declare their candidacy by Feb. 4. Independent candidates must file by May 4.
Who isn’t running for Ohio governor?
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, ran a brief campaign to replace DeWine. He dropped out of the race on May 16, 2025, after the Ohio Republican Party endorsed Ramaswamy.
Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a Republican appointed by DeWine to replace Husted, mulled a gubernatorial bid. He decided not to run on Sept. 19, 2025.
Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat, seriously considered a bid for Ohio governor, but ultimately decided against running on Nov. 21, 2025.
Jessie Balmert covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who is running for Ohio governor in 2026? Race is on to replace term-limited Mike DeWine
Reporting by Jessie Balmert, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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